Monday, November 19, 2018

Ajaz's rise
to international cricket was built on repeated success at domestic level. He
was the highest wicket-taker in first-class cricket for three years running
before he got the call from selector Gavin Larsen in July 2018. Having emigrated with his family from Mumbai
in 1996, it is indeed a big climb to
Patel

Back in Nov
2004 in Mumbai, in the 4th test, India 104 & 205 beat Australia
203 & 93 by 13 runs, which is the lowest margin for India.Micheal Clarke had magical figures of
6.2-0-9-6 in Indian second innings – yet, the commentator Murali Kartik with 7
wickets in the match was the man of the match. The lowest in the history of Test Cricket is
that of 4th test at Adelaide in Jan 1993 when WI beat Aussies.WI 252 & 146 beat Australia 213 &
184.Curtly ambrose was the Man of the
match.

Today at Abu
dhabi, it was a miracle – dead and buried against Pakistan, New Zealand fought
valiantly to summon one of the greatest comebacks in their test cricket
history, turning the test on its head to claim a famous four-run triumph.

It was a game that they had absolutely no right to win. Chasing 176,
Pakistan were cruising at 130-3, with Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali having added 82
to put their side on the cusp of victory. Even when Neil Wagner removed Shafiq
just before lunch, it seemed a mere footnote in the plotline seemingly scripted
for this tour – the Black Caps being good, but not quite good enough. The
equation had been reduced to just 29 runs required with six wickets in hand,
and with experienced batsmen at the crease, it looked like the question was not
if, but when, Pakistan would take a 1-0 series lead.

In the pantheon of infamous Pakistan implosions, this must rank right
around the top. Pakistan were cantering to a victory around lunchtime, courtesy
Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali, and the wicket of Shafiq off the last ball before
lunch seemed no more than an inconsequential irritant. But New Zealand,
blindly, illogically, unreasonably, refused to write off this match as a lost
cause, compelling Pakistan to believe the game was still on, the pressure all
theirs to bear. Kiwis had a four-run
victory, their narrowest Test win in history, and surely one of their most
gratifying ones.

The score card reads : New Zealand 153 (Williamson 63, Yasir 3-54) and
249 (Watling 59, Nicholls 55, Hasan 5-45, Yasir 5-110) beat Pakistan 227 (Babar
62, Boult 4-54) and 171 (Azhar 65, Patel 5-59) by four runs. Black Caps captain
Kane Williamson hailed the performance as a superb fighting effort. "It's
a great advertisement for test cricket. We knew the surface wasn't easy and it
required a really scrappy performance. The attitude was outstanding – the guys
stayed in the contest for long periods of time. "That fighting attitude
that we showed throughout was something that we want to hold onto."

It was an attitude which led to the Black Caps conquering with the
second-lowest fourth-innings target they have ever successfully defended. The
lowest was 137 in the famous win over England in Wellington in 1978. The
third-lowest is now the 241 defended in beating Australia in Hobart in 2011,
another memorable victory.

The debutant Ajaz Patel hailing from India had figures of 5/59 -the second best by a New Zealand spinner on
Test debut. Alex Moir had taken 6 for 155 against England in Christchurch in
1951, which is the best. Ajaz was also named Man of the Match, which makes him
fifth New Zealand player to win the award on Test debut.

In
Dec 2015, there were unprecedented rains in Chennai ~ water ran over Saidapet,
Adyar bridges, many houses were inundated – people suffered – the devastation
was captured and shown widespread in
every media; social media highlighted more and there were so many groups
including SYMA of Triplicane that were involved in relief work.

On Nov
5, 2018 - a low pressure system formed
over the Gulf of Thailand. The system crossed through Southern Thailand and the
Malay Peninsula on Nov 8. The next day, it crossed into the Andaman Sea and
lingered there, organizing further throughout the day and intensified into a
depression over the Bay of Bengal on November 10. The next day, the system was
designated by the IMD as BOB 09. Soon after, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA). At 00:00 UTC on
November 11, the deep depression strengthened into a cyclonic storm, and was
named 'Gaja'. There was red-alert too .. .. it made a landfall later – there
were not even heavy rains in Chennai and social media made memes making fun
that ‘Gaja went jaga’ – it became a joke .. .. .. first regret for not realizing the devastation caused elsewhere
in our own state of Tamil Nadu .. ..

Gaja made landfall
along the coast of Tamil Nadu as a severe cyclonic storm between Vedaranyam and
Velankanni shortly after midnight on 15.11- it reportedly was more than 120
kmph at the eye of the storm.The Atmospheric
Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite passed over
Tropical Cyclone Gaja on Nov. 15 at 3:29 p.m. EDT (around 2 am IST) and
analyzed the storm in infrared light. Infrared light provides temperature data
and that’s important when trying to understand how strong storms can be. The
higher the cloud tops, the colder and the stronger they are.When Aqua passed over the Indian Ocean,
Gaja’s center was making landfall along the coast of southeastern India. The
AIRS instrument found coldest cloud top temperatures in thunderstorms around
the center, where temperatures were as cold as minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit
(minus 53 degrees Celsius). Storms with cloud top temperatures that cold have
the capability to produce heavy rainfall.

It appears
that – we have not fully understood or realized the havoc caused by the cyclonic
storm 'Gaja', which crossed Tamil Nadu's coast early on Friday, claiming more
than 20 lives and thousands of cattle. The winds due to the cyclonic storm
resulted in hundreds of trees and electricity poles being uprooted in places of
: Nagapattinam, Vedaranyam, Pattukottai, Karaikal, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur,
Pudukottai, Cuddalore, Pudukottai to name a few.

Thanjavur is the
delta region, that produced quintals of paddy when Cauvery was in full
flow.Tanjore district encompasses the
entire cauvery delta. For administrative reasons the erstwhile Thanjavur
district was divided into three districts Viz. Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and
Nagapattinam districts. The sad news is - Cyclone Gaja has left coconut farmers
devastated, felling lakhs of trees in groves across the Cauvery delta and in
neighbouring Pudukottai district. “The impact created by cyclone Gaja
certainly is deeper than we could imagine. Livelihoods of thousands of
villagers have been destroyed.

The coconut growing
belt of Pattukottai and Peravurani in Thanjavur district have been the worst
affected, farmers say. The Agriculture Department has launched a survey to
enumerate the extent of damage and it is expected to be completed by November
25. Coconut is raised on about 40,000 hectares (ha), mostly in Pattukottai,
Peravaruni and Orathanadu areas in Thanjavur district, the department officials
said. According to initial estimates, over five lakh coconut trees in
Pudukottai district have been uprooted by the cyclone, leaving coconut growers
literally in tears. Authorities in Nagpattinam said that coconut trees on 3,000
hectares have been damaged. Farmers of Pattukottai and Peravurani areas said
for most them coconut groves were the only source of livelihood.

Nearly two lakh
farm labourers are also estimated to depend on the coconut farms for employment
in Thanjavur district. Peravurani is a panchayat town which is a leading
producer of coconut.The town lying in
new delta region isirrigated by Kallanai Kalvai and its
distributories. Peravurani means "big pond", deriving from the Tamil
words periya meaning big and oorani meaning a pond or a tank.

The villages in and
around Peravurani – some of which named as - Thirupooranikadu, kalagam, kondraikadu,
thenangudi, hiruchitrambalamseruvaviduthi, uppuviduthi, Mudachikkadu, kalanikkottai, Kuruvikkrambai
karambakkadu , Nadiyam,Marungappallam, Nattanikottai, Kazhanivasal,
Rettavayal, Ottangadu, Sethubavachathiram – and more have been devastated by
the cyclone with coconut trees, plantain trees, maize and paddy have been badly
damaged.Electric poles have fallen –
there has been no electricity and many people are suffering without food and
basic amenities.

It is our duty to
ensure that we participate in some relief measures and help our brethren in
these areas – whatever listed out here is limited and practically, there could
be hundreds of villages badly affected and thousands waiting for some
assistance.

With regards – S.
Sampathkumar

19th Nov.
2018.

Pic
credit : IMD, NASA, FB page of Peravurani (just to highlight and make us
understand the impact of cyclone)

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Pre-script
1:The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) is the
second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is
awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether
on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the British Distinguished Service
Order (DSO). The medal may be awarded posthumously.

2) Decades
ago, this book titled ‘Pathinaalu Naatkal’ [14 days] impressed me most…. It was
a story on Indo-bangla war … the hero is an Indian pilot who gets captured and falls in
the hands of a Paki general who hates India….. the air warfare was so
wonderfully depicted with Sujatha touch of humanism….

Thar Desert,
also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a large arid region in the
northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of 200,000 km2
and forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. About 75% of the Thar Desert is located within
India, with the remaining 25% in Pakistan.Longewala is a border town in the Thar Desert in the western part of
Jaisalmer district, in the state of Rajasthan. It is very close to the border
with Pakistan and is most notable as the location of the Battle of Longewala
during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

The Battle of
Longewala (4–7 December 1971) was one of the first major engagements in the
western sector during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, fought between assaulting
Pakistani forces and Indian defenders at the Indian border post of Longewala,
in the Thar Desert."A" company (reinforced) of the
Indian Army's 23rd battalion, Punjab Regiment, commanded by Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, was left with the choice
of either attempting to hold out until reinforced, or fleeing on foot from a
mechanised infantry Pakistani force. Choosing the former, Chandpuri ensured that
all his assets were correctly deployed, and made the most use of his strong
defensive position, and weaknesses created by errors in enemy tactics. He was
also fortunate in that an Indian Air Forceforward air controller was able to
secure and direct aircraft in support of the post's defence until
reinforcements arrived six hours later.

During the night of
the 4th, Lt. Veer's platoon conducting a patrol detected noises across the
border that suggested a large number of armoured vehicles approaching. These
were soon confirmed by reports — from the Army's Air Observation Post aircraft
flown by Maj. Atma Singh — in the area of a 20 km long armoured column on the
track leading to the post advancing in the general direction of the Longewala
post.Directing Lt Veer's patrol to
trail the advancing armoured column, Chandpuri got in touch with the battalion
headquarters requesting urgent reinforcements and armour and artillery support.
Battalion HQ gave him the choice of staying put, and containing the attack as
much as possible, or carrying out a tactical retreat of the company to Ramgarh,
as reinforcements would not be available for at least six hours. Considering
that Chandpuri's command had no transportation, and was facing a mobile enemy,
he decided to maintain the defensive position of the post where his troops at
least had the benefit of prepared defensive works, rather than conducting a
withdrawal at night that was a far riskier option.

The battle of
Longewala saw heavy Pakistani losses and low Indian casualties. Since the
Indians were able to use the defenders' advantage, they managed to inflict
heavy losses on the Pakistanis. Indian casualties in the battle were two
soldiers along with one of their jeep mounted recoil-less rifles knocked out.
Pakistani losses were 200 soldiers killed. The Pakistanis suffered the loss of 34 tanks
destroyed or abandoned, and lost 500 additional vehicles.Invading Pakistan troops meanwhile, had
underestimated the Longewala post's defensive capability due to the difficulty
of approach over sand, conducting the attack at night and in full-moon light,
against stiff resistance encountered there from a well prepared defensive
position located on a dominant height.

Brigadier
Kuldip Singh Chandpuri was awarded Maha Vir Chakra, India's second highest
gallantry award. Several other awards were earned by members of
the defending company, and the battalion's commander. On the other hand, the
Pakistani divisional commander was dismissed from service. Sadly, Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri MVC,
VSM (22 November 1940) a decorated Officer passed away yesterday.He was
a councillor in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation from 2006 to 2011.The hero of the Battle of Longewala during the
1971 Indo-Pak war, died at a hospital in Mohali on Saturday, his family said.
He was 78. Brig Chandpuri was suffering from cancer. He is survived by his wife
and three sons, his family said.

The 1997 Bollywood film,
‘Border’, in which actor Sunny Deol played the role of Brig Chandpuri, was made
depicting the Longewala battle. The cremation will take place on Monday with
full military honours. Brig Chandpuri passed out from the Officers’ Training
Academy, Chennai, in 1963 and was commissioned into the 23rd Battalion of the
Punjab Regiment. He took part in the 1965 war on the western sector and,
thereafter, served in the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) for about a
year. He also served twice as an instructor at the Infantry School, Mhow.

Punjab Chief
Minister Amarinder Singh condoled the passing away of Chandpuri, saying his
exemplary and heroic leadership in the Battle of Longewala would inspire the
young soldiers and officers of the defence services to discharge their duties
with utmost devotion, commitment and sincerity. The citation for his Mahavir Chakra Award
reads: “Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri was commanding a company battalion of the
Punjab Regiment occupying a defended locality in the Rajasthan Sector.” At the
Battle of Longewala, Brig Chandpuri exhibited dynamic leadership, exceptional
courage and determination in holding his command intact and steadfast. He
inspired his men moving from bunker to bunker till the reinforcements arrived,
the citation added.

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Nothing big ~ he has played in 5 T20s –
scored 38 runs with 21 as highest – watched him play a T10 today !!!

Carrara Stadium (known commercially as
Metricon Stadium) is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland,
Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara. The venue is primarily used for
Australian rules football and is the home ground of the Gold Coast Suns, who compete
in the Australian Football League. The
stadium has hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth
Games as well as the athletics competitions. Gold Coast is a coastal city in the Australian
state of Queensland, approximately 66 kilometres (41 mi) south-southeast of the
state capital Brisbane and immediately north of the border with New South
Wales. It was the venue of T20 match
between touring South Africans and Australia.

The Gold Coast region remained largely
uninhabited by Europeans until 1823 when explorer John Oxley landed at Mermaid
Beach. The area boomed in the 1980s as a leading tourist destination and in
1994, the City of Gold Coast local government area was expanded to encompass
the majority of the Gold Coast's metropolitan area, becoming the second most
populous local government area in Australia after the City of Brisbane. Today,
the Gold Coast is a major tourist destination with its sunny subtropical
climate and has become widely known for its surfing beaches, high-rise
dominated skyline, theme parks, nightlife, and rainforest hinterland.

It was not the greatest of matches – in a
rain-reduced 10 overs aside, the innings changed with du Plessis' dismissal.
With 3.1 overs left South Africa had a score of 120 on offer. Du Plessis
hammered Stanlake to deep midwicket. Very few fielders in the world could have
saved six let alone completed the catch. Maxwell leapt high and took the catch
at full stretch above his head while momentum carried him over the rope. He
threw the ball up just before his left foot hit the ground over the rope, he
balanced, got back inside the rope and made the end result look exceptionally
simple despite the incredible degree of difficulty. Coulter-Nile and Andrew Tye
then closed the innings brilliantly conceding just 24 runs from the last 18
balls and claiming three wickets with some well-executed slower balls.

Finch is the Captain, and the team reads
: Chris Lynn, DJM Short, Glenn Maxwell, MP Stoinis,BR McDermott,AT Carey (WK), Nathan Coulter-Nile,
AJ Tye, JP Behrendorff, B Stanlake~ not
exactly an inexperienced line-up or perhaps we are able to familiarize the team
because of IPL .. ..

Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast had
set itself for its first international cricket match, just seven months after
hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games. But a deluge of rain pre-game, 18
millimetres in total, nearly ensured the match never started. Fortunately, the
heavy rain cell passed due to strong winds. The game did start after a delay of
nearly two hours, with the playing conditions changing to 10 overs per side,
two overs maximum for each bowler, with a three over Powerplay. South Africa inflicted Australia's third loss
in four matches to leave the home side down right miserable. Australia have now
lost their last four T20Is and five of the last six on top of losing a one-day
and Test series in between times.

The squad did ring a bell – McDermott is
a known name – it is Benjamin Reginald McDermottwho
has not followed the family trend of bowling fast like his father Craig and
brother Alister, but has instead made a name for himself as a batsman and
some-time wicketkeeper. Craig McDermott made his Test debut aged 19 on the way
to 291 wickets and his son Alister had a Queensland rookie contract before
leaving high school in Southport. Alister, who was in year 12 when the deal was
signed, carries the red hair and bowling action of his father and Queensland
are hoping for similar results in the future. Benjamin Mcdermott is playing as a batsman ..
..

Craig Mcdermott (photo at the start)
bowled fast, and threw in accurately and flat. He played 71 tests taking 291
wickets at an average of 28.63 and in 138 ODIs he took 203 wickets.Remember that he played in that famous Tied
test at Chepauk but went wicketless.He
played in 2 matches at Chepauk further – Reliance WC 1987 – against India in
the first match he took 4/56 and against Zimbabwe 1/13. Craig McDermott used to
smear his face white with chapstick, run in fast and hurl down quick deliveries — several years
before Allan Donald had transformed the act into the realms of legend.His career was plagued by injuries .. ..